By Sharina Ahmad
THE construction of 27 “iconic” pylons suggested by then Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng to bring power from the mainland to Penang will cost an additional RM100-200 mil to take the price up to RM500-600 mil. The cost is to be borne by Tenaga Nasional Bhd, sources told FocusM.
They said the project was discussed before the May 2018 general election. Apparently Lim, now Finance Minister, had suggested a special design for the pylons to make them look good because they would run parallel to the (first) Penang Bridge. The project remained in abeyance but was revived after GE14.
Design drawings for the pylons by architects TR Hamzah & Yeang Sdn Bhd and tender documents by TNB seen by FocusM refer to the pylons as the Iconic Towers. When TNB last called for tenders, it said “these iconic towers have a particular shape and form developed for the project that shall not be modified in the contractor’s design”.
The TNB tender document said the intent of the pylon project is to create an iconic feature that portrays the identity of TNB and Penang and to display the progressive development capabilities of the region.
“The concept of the iconic towers is inspired by the sectional portion of an areca nut seedling (buah pokok pinang), a reference to the state of Penang. More than a reference to the seed, it is to signify growth and development while communicating the importance of its origin,” it said.
“As the structures are conceptualised from a natural element, thus the overall look is to be smooth, slender and elegant to communicate the idea of natural growth. This is particularly important as the towers will be illuminated with aesthetic lighting at night.”
The sources said a project with normal pylons, which may be as much as RM200 mil cheaper, would adequately carry power across to the mainland without any problem and there was no need to locate them next to the Penang Bridge. For the price of the iconic towers, submarine cables could be built but these do require more maintenance, they said.
“For RM200 mil, TNB could have built many transmission lines all over Malaysia,” the sources said.
It is understood that those who have bid for the project are Rohas Tecnic Bhd together with Muhibbah Engineering (M) Bhd, Australia-based McConnell Dowell Corp Ltd, Larsen & Toubro Ltd, Ingress Corp Bhd together with China Harbour Engineering Co Ltd, and MMC Consortium Ltd together with MRCB’s subsidiary Transmission Technology Sdn Bhd (TTSB).
Project consultant for the pylon project is CH2M Services Sdn Bhd which has also been appointed as the technical adviser for the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail (HSR) project by MyHSR Corp Sdn Bhd.
At the time of writing, TNB had not responded to questions from FocusM while Lim’s press secretary did not respond to phone calls and messages.
Last year, Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the state government had given “conceptual” approval to TNB to build the 100-metre-high pylons next to the Penang Bridge to meet future power supply demands.
Chow was quoted as saying that the plans were still a work in progress and the state was still in discussions with TNB as it needs approval from the two local councils – Penang Island City Council and Seberang Perai City Council – to proceed. The new pylons will be connected to the national grid in Perai.
The new power supply would also help with the state’s reclamation works and other infrastructure projects, such as the approved light rail transit (LRT) project which would be ready in about 10 years, the TNB report said.
There are currently two submarine power cables connecting the island to Seberang Perai. The island’s gas-based 300MW power plant at Bukit Dumbar is expected to be decommissioned in 2024, according to a report. – Feb 19, 2020
